A good 4 hours spent covering an extensive part of the moors and saplin wood area. Most of the time spent in thick cloud and rain, saw one single skylark and had great close up views of 2 woodcock that I accidentally flushed, they were about 100 metres appart roosting in the heather on the top of the moor near to the Edgeworth boarder.
4th afternoon visit of the week trying to find Hen Harrier, still no luck !. Did however see a Little Owl(GM Year tick 165), still find it hard to believe I have not seen one at Elton this year. Cheers Ian
Yesterday afternoon, covered a large area of the moors by bicycle.
Meadow pipits in abundance, X2 kestrels. X1 little owl. Plus I startled a green woodpecker that was foraging just off the path on Moorbottom rd. Which in turn startled me!
One, probably two Grasshopper Warbler still reeling this morning. Lots of Skylark and Meadow Pipit singing as well. Also 1 Kestrel, 3 Swift and 4 Swallow over the moor.
Had a quick look for the cuckoos on Friday evening but was told that they were live firing on the ranges on Thursday afternoon and will be all weekend so perhaps not much prospect of any further sightings.
4 Stonechat-1 pair and two singing males, Buzzard mobbed by a pair of Ravens, Green woodpecker, two mating Kestrels, Linnet, 6 singing Skylarks, flock of Goldfinches, Goldcrest, Reed Bunting Male, Tawny Owl, Coal Tit, quite a few Meadow Pipits, Song Thrush in full song and two Fieldfare.
06:30-08:30am in the hope of seeing Short Eared Owl at first light but failed to see it.
3 Fieldfare
17+ Meadow Pipit heard a lot more than seen
1 Pheasant
1 Kestrel
2 Ravens
Cheers Steven
No trace of the Short-eared Owl or Black Redstart last night..
On Saturday 31st Oct a local chap took a good photograph of a Great Grey Shrike on the path up to Holcombe Tower..There are plenty of suitable areas around the Ranges and over towards Quarlton where it could still be if anybody is in the area..
Short-eared Owl tonight hunting around the heather edges above Moorbottom Rd and around towards the heather on Holcombe Moor ... Great views in evening sun ..
12 Twite flew west over the moor with a couple of redwing between Peel Tower and harcles hill 2 Brambling flew over west Swallow - late bird sw
other birds noted - 600+ Fieldfare NW 200+ Redwing sw 11 Buzzard moved south 2 Sparrowhawk 4 Kestrel 7+ Raven 80+ meadow pipit sw plus 100+ still on the moor
-- Edited by Simon Johnson on Monday 19th of October 2015 08:15:55 PM
Watched from the valley bottom near saplin wood due to the mist and cold wind on the tops
16 Crossbill flew south in parties of 7 (male and 6 female/imm) 8 (all female/imm) and then one heard over Redwing flew sw 700+ meadow pipit flew south/se 29 Skylark in a single party came over the top and sw 270+ Goldfinch 2 Peregrine Raven 20 + Lesser Redpoll Green Woodpecker 4 Nutchatch 5 Chiffchaff
lots of goldcrest and coal tit calling from the woods
7.45 - 10 am watch from the east side just under peel tower
1+ Ring Ouzel - 1 was in trees along moor bottom road by the stables then this or another was in the garden at the house at the top of the hill by peel tower and flew sw over moor Little Grebe - one on the pond below the hill 100 Swallow south 500 Meadow Pipit south 27 Skylark se 70+ Chaffinch south
Meadow Pipits, Pied Wagtail and Chaffinch were also seen attempting to land on the top of peel tower whilst passing over which have never seen before
-- Edited by Simon Johnson on Monday 28th of September 2015 08:43:46 PM
Track across the army range past Red Brook to Lark Hill :- 1 Kestrel, 1 Green Woodpecker, Pair of Stonechats on a fence + another one calling not too far away, 1 Skylark, 15 Meadow Pipits, regular sightings of Wrens, 1 Jay, 5 Carrion Crows, 1 Raven, 120+ Goldfinches.
Lark Hill to Longshaw Head :- 70+ Meadow Pipits, 2 Skylarks, 100+ Goldfinches.
47 Pink-footed Geese se and 45 NW 7 Wigeon NW 2 Merlin (1 sw and 1 NW) Peregrine 13 Common Buzzard 7 Raven 992 Meadow pipit sw 59 Skylark sw 235 House Martin feeding over moor then south 6 Snipe se
15 Pink-footed Geese flew east late morning 1600+ Meadow pipit sw Green Woodpecker 2+ Crossbill heard over 8 Buzzard Peregrine 24 Skylark sw plus 16 on the moor 2 Snipe 3 Raven 7 Kestrel 15 Goldcrest near the miniature pony stables
Sunday 6 Sep - Holcombe Moor Edge overlooking Moor Bottom Road and Saplin Wood. 2 ravens doing acrobatics avoiding annoying sparrowhawk. At least 4 Kestrels hunting, peregrine over flying south and buzzard circling. Hundreds of swallows and house martins hawking in a large (hatch?) of large black insects with offset tails (??) Large numbers of meadow pipits but no wheatears. Half a dozen mistle thrush including juveniles feeding in fields below Moor Bottom Rd. Still no little owl. Not seen on Moorbottom Rd now for last 3 or so years - almost always guaranteed before.
spotted flycatcher in trees near assault course this morning.on way up to moors via moorbottom rd 6 kestrel hovering all in a line.male and female wheatear 2 raven and a buzzard over.in the bracken at head of valley 1 whinchat and at least 6 stonechat inc 1 juv.strangely didn't see any meadow pipit.cheers andrew
Bank Holiday Monday, 25th May 2015 10:30 - 15:00 hrs.
Walk from Peel Tower Car Park - Holcombe Village - over Holcombe Moor (via Chatterton Close, Buckden Clough, Beetle Hill, Pilgrims Cross, Peel Tower) - 'Shoulder of Mutton' pub (light refreshment!) - back to Peel Tower Car Park.
Greenfinch adult with at least three fledglings Curlew x 1 (spoke to chap doing bird survey with NT guy who had spotted 2 pairs of Curlew on Holcombe Moor) Kestrel x 1 Meadow Pipits x lots Skylarks x lots Jay (Buckden Clough) Pied Wagtail Jackdaws x 7 Carrion Crows Magpies Blackbirds Great Tit Chaffinch Robin Swallows Swifts
-- Edited by Steve Judge on Monday 25th of May 2015 04:01:06 PM
Willow Warbler 20+ singing from almost every tree and shrub Chiffchaff Common Whitethroat 3 Skylark 3 Wheatear 2 Ring Ouzel 7, 3M & 4F, and a fly over flock of 12 Stonechat Curlew 3 Kestrel 2 Pied Wagtail Young Tawny Owl heard only
Early AM 2 Grasshopper Warbler 9 Willow Warbler 1 Chiffchaff 2 Kestrel, 3 Curlew, Moorhen 4 Canada Geese, Male Stonechat, 20+ Wheatear, 2 Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, two flocks of Linnets (6 & 4) 8 Ring Ouzel (3m 5f) lots of meadow Pipits and Singing Skylarks, Pied Wagtail, Long Tailed Tits flocks of Goldfinches Pheasant and usuals.
Excellent morning for 2 BBS Squares around the moors and Ranges.. 12 Ring Ouzel 26 Wheatear Stonechat in a new area for me. 2 Golden Plover Grasshopper Warbler 2 Stock Dove 2 Green Woodpecker
Had a great walk along moor bottom road with my 2 children. We saw wheatear, excellent views of a male stonechat, green woodpecker, skylark, meadow pipit, linnet, willow warbler, swallow.
Sadly we failed to see the ring ouzels!!!
In trees along road:
4 Willow warblers singing
Nuthatch
3 Chaffinches singing
3 Ring Ouzel including a pair at the far end of moorbottom road on top of slope
5 Wheatears
1 Stonechat
1 Green Woodpecker
1 Peregrine flew over
Grey heron flew over
numerous singing skylarks and Meadow Pipits
Late morning visit was rewarded by great views of Ring Ouzel, 4 in total along the right hand side of the hill on Moorland Road walking towards the firing range. Other highlights: Wheatear Stonechat Kestrel Willow Warbler Meadow Pipit
Late morning visit (after an early morning at Elton) with Simon Johnson produced the follow highlights;
17+ Ring Ouzels along Moorbottom Road, both on the slopes right of the path and some below in the valley bottom, slightly more males than females. 19 Wheatear 3 Stonechat 2 Green Woodpecker 14 Willow Warblers few Lesser Redpolls.